In the automotive industry, there is a multitude of different shifters constructed for different vehicles. This has been necessary because primarily, the transmission of each vehicle requires different throws (degrees of pivotable movement) of the shifter lever in being shifted from park to reverse, neutral, drive, and low gears. The present-day practice to accomplish the desired throws for each of the vehicles, has been to design a shifter for each of the vehicles. Although the components for each of the shifters are somewhat alike, it has been the practice to design, develop, and tool up for each of the shifters. Although similar components are used in each of the shifters, particularly by any one manufacturer, these specific designs for each shifter have required substantially different tooling for each shifter which is very costly. Further, each design requires substantial testing and frequently redesign of the shifter to accomplish the desired function including the throws of the shifter lever. By "throw" it is meant the degree of rotation of the shifter lever for each of the desired positions of the shift lever as determined by the pawl being movable with the shift lever in and out of notches of a pawl detent member.
Frequently, in addition to the pawl being movable with the shift lever, an arm is connected for movement with the shift lever for giving feel to the operator of the position of the shift lever. Mounted on the end of the arm is a member such as a roller that rolls on a roller detent surface that has undulations corresponding to the position of the pawl in the various park, reverse, neutral, drive, and low selector positions herein referred to as the P-R-N-D-L selector positions. The undulations in the roller detent must be designed to match the throws for the various selector positions of each shifter. Accordingly, it has been the practice in designing a shifter for different transmissions to redesign the entire shifter by modifying all the components closely associated not only with the pawl detent member but also with the roller detent. As previously stated, these modifications were made by designing entirely new shifters and consequently, making new tooling for substantially all components for each of the shifters so designed.